Volumetric shoulder for garments

ABSTRACT

A separate section is introduced between the sleeve and the body of any garment such as a jacket, parka, wind shirt, or shirt of any type to isolate, to a considerable extent, the motion of the sleeve from the main body of the garment. This isolation of movement is accomplished by shaping the edges of the separate section and the adjoining edges of the garment body and the sleeve in such a way that excess fabric is available between the sleeve and the body of the garment regardless of which direction the arm is moved. In particular, excess fabric is available to accommodate the volume of the shoulder joint when it moves upward from a rest position as the arm is raised. The result is that the wearer can move the arm over a very wide range of motion with much less movement of the main body of the garment and much less movement of the sleeve cuff up and down the arm than with other methods of sleeve attachment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/311,372 filed Aug. 9, 2001, where this provisionalapplication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention pertains to garment shoulder design, andmore particularly, to a shoulder joint configuration for joining asleeve to a garment body in which sleeve movement is isolated from thegarment body.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] It has long been desirable to provide shirts, jackets, parkas andthe like with a construction in which movement of the body of thegarment is minimized when the arms are raised. Upward movement of ashirt hem due to raising of the arms can be problematic when the hemcomes partially or completely untucked. Upward movement of anelasticized hem on a lightweight jacket is problematic because the hemwill not descend on its own when the arms are lowered, so the jacket isleft loosely billowing in the way. Furthermore, upward movement of aparka can be problematic when wearing a pack because parka fabric pulledup through the waist belt of the pack billows out in front when the armsare lowered.

[0006] Various methods have been utilized to address this problem. Themost common technique is to provide excess fabric in the armpit area bypatterning both the body and the sleeve so they would overlap in thearmpit area if laid flat. When sewn together, the excess fabric allowsthe arm to raise some distance before the side seams pull tight andbegin to raise the garment's hem. Done properly, this allows the arm toraise approximately to the horizontal before the wearer's shoulderbegins to lift the body of the garment. Another technique involvesadding a separate section or piece of material (“gusset”) in the armpitarea. This provides excess material similar to the previous method withvirtually the same results. Another technique involves replacing thegussets or portions of either the sleeves or body with elastic material.Again, the functional results are virtually the same, and this techniquecannot be used in cases where elastic materials are undesirable forvarious reasons, such as in a fully-taped waterproof parka or in abeautifully patterned shirt.

[0007] In fact, an exhaustive survey over the past 20 years has failedto discover any garment construction technique that allows the arms tobe raised close to the vertical without substantial upward movement ofan unrestrained hem.

[0008] It has also long been desirable to minimize tightness and stressacross the back of a shirt, jacket, parka or the like when moving thearms forward. Tightness can be uncomfortable, and, in extreme cases, canresult in restricted motion and/or damage to the garment itself.

[0009] The primary method for avoiding such tightness and stress issimply to construct the garment larger than otherwise necessary. This isfrequently acceptable, but there are many cases when it is less thandesirable. When garment weight is an issue, or the cost of the garmentfabric is high, or when a well-fitted garment is desired for reasons ofcomfort, appearance, or functionality, it is less than desirable tosimply make the garment oversized.

[0010] Another method for avoiding tightness and stress is to sew agusset between the back of the sleeve and the back of the garment, as issometimes seen in motorcycle jackets or ski jackets. Again this is lessthan desirable when garment weight is an issue, when the cost of thegarment fabric is high, or when it is necessary to seam-tape the garmentfor waterproofness.

[0011] In addition, it has long been desirable to provide shirts,jackets, parkas and the like where movement of the cuffs is minimizedwhen the arms are raised or lowered. In typical garments, the cuffs hangdown over the knuckles when the arms are fully lowered, but the cuffsmove well down on the wrist when the arms are raised to near vertical.Consequences range from merely cosmetic, such as when worn with suitcoats, to downright dangerous, such as with jackets used for iceclimbing or other winter pursuits.

[0012] The methods discussed above for minimizing hem movement are allsomewhat effective in reducing movement of the cuffs, as well. Inaddition, in many cases the sleeves are built longer than necessary butrestrained by elastic edging at the cuffs, or by adjustment systems atthe cuffs, so that the cuffs can't simply fall down over the wearer'sknuckles. This results in considerable excess fabric being gatheredaround the forearms when the arms are lowered, however. This isparticularly problematic in waterproof parkas and jackets intended foroutdoor use. Fabrics for such garments are frequently both stiff andexpensive, so excess fabric gets in the way, impedes free arm movement,creates undesirable noise as it “accordions” back and forth with armmotion, and adds expense to the garment.

[0013] Again, an exhaustive survey over the past 20 years has failed todiscover any garment construction technique that allows the arms to beraised close to the vertical without substantial movement ofunrestrained sleeve cuffs. Unrestrained sleeve cuffs on even the mostadvanced mountain parkas typically move 3 inches or more as the armtravels from fully lowered to nearly vertical.

[0014] The present invention alleviates all of the shortcomingsmentioned above. By essentially isolating the sleeve from the body ofthe garment, it allows a wide range of arm motion in every directionwith minimal movement of either unrestrained hem or cuffs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, no part ofthe sleeve attaches directly to the body of the garment. Rather, aseparate section is introduced between the sleeve and the body. Thisseparate section isolates, to a considerable extent, the motion of thesleeve from the main body of the garment. This isolation of movement isaccomplished by shaping the edges of the separate section and theadjoining edges of the garment body and the sleeve in such a way thatexcess fabric is available between the sleeve and the body of thegarment no matter which direction the arm is moved. In particular,excess fabric is available to accommodate the volume of the shoulderjoint when it moves up from the rest position as the arm is raised.

[0016] The volume occupied by the shoulder joint is a key issue notaddressed by all the garment construction methods that concentrate onproviding extra fabric in the armpit area. In all these cases, therising shoulder joint begins to pick up the body of the garment beforethe arm even reaches the horizontal position. As the arm is raised fromthe fully lowered position to near vertical, the top of the shoulderjoint moves upward several inches. If a garment does not provide enoughvolume of fabric to accommodate the joint when raised, then the body ofthe garment will certainly rise with it. It is not sufficient to simplyprovide 2-dimensional relief under the arms along the side seams as isalmost always done. Rather, to be effective, additional volume must beprovided, as is provided in the present invention.

[0017] The result is that the wearer can move the arm over a very widerange of motion with much less movement of the main body of the garmentand much less movement of the sleeve cuff up and down the arm than withother methods of sleeve attachment. When the arm is lowered, the addedfabric volume gathers under, behind, and in front of the armpit area. Itlooks somewhat bulkier than normal, but is generally not found to beobjectionable.

[0018] Thus, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, agarment is provided having at least one sleeve, the garment including aseparate section interposed between the body and the at least onesleeve, the separate section structured to provide extra volume in theshoulder to isolate movement of the sleeve from the body of the garmentwhen a user moves their arm. Ideally, the separate section is not formedof stretchable material, although it may be used if desired. Inaccordance with one aspect of this embodiment of the invention, theseparate section can be a configured to extend to a neck hole of thegarment. The separate section includes first and second edges configuredfor attachment to the body and the sleeve, respectively, the first andsecond edges configured to not match up to corresponding edges on thebody and the sleeve when disposed flat on a common planar surface.

[0019] In accordance with a method of the present invention, a garmentis formed to have at least one sleeve, the method including providing aseparate section interposed between the body of the garment and thesleeve, the separate section structured to provide extra volume in theshoulder to isolate movement of the sleeve from the body of the garmentwhen a user moves their arm. Ideally the separate section is formed ofnon-stretch material, as discussed above. In one embodiment the separatesection is formed to extend to a neck hole of the garment. In thisembodiment the separate section has first and second edges that areformed to be attached to corresponding edges of the garment and thesleeve such that when disposed flat on a common planar surface the edgesof the separate section do not match up to the corresponding edges ofthe garment and the sleeve to thereby provide a volumetric shoulder areawhen assembled.

[0020] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention,the separate section can be formed of individual subsections that havefirst and second edges configured for attachment to the body and thesleeve, respectively, of the garment, and third and fourth edges forattachment to adjacent subsections, the third and fourth edgesconfigured to not match up with edges of adjacent subsections whendisposed flat on a common planar surface.

[0021] As is the case with other embodiments of the present invention,variations in the curves along the edges of the separate section, and ofthe curves along the edges of the garment and the sleeves that attach tothe separate section, affect the degree to which this method iseffective. Compromises can be made depending on other constraints ordesires. For example, in parkas where it is desired to eliminate anyseam on top of the shoulder, the separate section may be shaped in thatarea so that it includes an extension that extends all the way to theneck hole. Production parkas prove that this modification can be madewith only minor loss in isolation of sleeve and garment body movement.

[0022] The separate section may be constructed from a single piece offabric, 2 pieces, or it may be composed of several. In the embodimentsdescribed herein, the separate section can be made from the same fabricas the rest of the garment. The separate section could easily beconstructed from completely different fabric, of course, or the samefabric in a different color. In another embodiment, the lower piece offabric is the same as that from which the main body is constructed,while the upper piece is heavier fabric to provide reinforcement.

[0023] A variation of the foregoing embodiment has a mesh underarm vent.The vent could be made of three pieces of mesh, one of which forms theunderarm portion of the separate section. Optionally, the seams in themesh vent can be eliminated so that the vent is more readily cut andsewn in. The basic outlines of the vent and of the separate section areunchanged, however.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024]FIG. 1A is a front view of one embodiment of a jacketincorporating a separate section between each sleeve and a body of thejacket, each separate section consisting of a single piece;

[0025]FIG. 1B shows a typical pattern for the fabric used to make theseparate section of FIG. 1A;

[0026]FIG. 2A is a front view of another embodiment of the inventionshowing a windbreaker incorporating a separate section between eachsleeve and the body of the windbreaker, each separate section comprisinga piece of the same fabric as the windbreaker and a small section of amesh underarm vent;

[0027]FIG. 2B shows a typical pattern for the fabric used to make theseparate section of FIG. 2A;

[0028]FIG. 3A is a front view of a further embodiment of the inventionshowing a parka incorporating a separate section between each sleeve andthe body of the parka; each separate section comprising a piece of thesame fabric as the parka, patterned in such a way that it extends to theneck hole;

[0029]FIG. 3B shows a typical pattern for the fabric used to make theseparate section of FIG. 3A;

[0030]FIG. 4A is a front view of yet another embodiment of the inventionshowing a parka incorporating a separate section between each sleeve andthe body of the parka, each separate section comprising a piece of thesame fabric as the jacket under the arm and a piece of heavier fabric,for reinforcement, patterned in such a way that it extends to the neckhole;

[0031]FIG. 4B shows a two-piece pattern for the fabric used to make theseparate section of FIG. 4A;

[0032] FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate the distance that a shoulder moves upwardwhen the arm is raised to a near vertical position; and

[0033]FIG. 6 is a front view of yet a further embodiment of theinvention illustrating a parka that incorporates a separate sectioninserted between each sleeve and the body of the parka, each separatesection consisting of several pieces that are patterned to add volume tothe separate section when assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

[0034] A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1Aand 1B. FIG. 1A shows a front view of a jacket 1, with a separatesection 2 interposed between a sleeve 3 and a jacket body 4. Theseparate section 2 wraps over a shoulder area 12, and it includes ends10 and 11 that are joined together at a seam in an armpit area 9,typically by sewing or by fabric welding, although any other joiningmethod is usable without affecting the utility of the invention. Joiningof the ends 10, 11 of the separate section 2 in the armpit area 9generally provides the best appearance and the best fabric utilizationin manufacturing; however, it is entirely possible to break the separatesection 2 anywhere else and join the ends together, such as on top ofthe shoulder area 12, for example.

[0035] A typical pattern for the fabric used to make the separatesection 2 is shown in FIG. 1B. The section 2 includes opposinglongitudinal edges 6, 7 and opposing transverse edges 10, 11. Thelongitudinal edges 6, 7 approach a parallel relationship at end portions100, 102, adjacent the transverse edges 10, 11, respectively. Thelongitudinal edges each have a general arcuate shape along their length,although the radius varies, especially at a mid-portion 104, where thelongitudinal edge 6 extends outward to create a larger area 106. In thislarger area 106 the longitudinal edges 6, 7 are at the greatest distanceapart.

[0036] In this and the embodiments described and illustrated in FIGS.2-4, the edges of the separate section and corresponding edges of thesleeve and garment body do not match up when laid flat. In thisconfiguration, when assembled together, extra volume is provided in alldirections as the separate section assumes a volumetric shape.

[0037] The general shape is typically such that, in the completed jacket1, the angle α made by a top 14 of the separate section 2, as comparedto a line 17 that is parallel to the hem 16 of the jacket 1, isintermediate between the angle Φ made by the top 13 of the jacket body 4and line 17 and the angle θ made by the top 15 of the sleeve 3 and tothe line 17. This intermediate angle α in the shoulder area 12 providesa much better fit compared to jackets where the sleeve 3 is joineddirectly to the jacket body 4; and it provides improved mobility for awearer's arms.

[0038] Varying the shapes of the longitudinal edges 6 and 7 of theseparate section 2 and the shapes of an edge 5 of the sleeve 3 and anedge 8 of the jacket body 4 affects the amount of extra fabric availableto accommodate the motion of the sleeve 3 without causing substantialmotion of the jacket body 4. For example, the shapes of the longitudinaledges 6, 7 of the separate section 2 can be changed to add fabric in theshoulder area 12. This extra fabric then provides extra volume in theshoulder area 12 of the jacket 1 when it is worn. This extra volumehelps reduce movement of the jacket body 4 when the wearer raises anarm. The shapes of the edge 5 of the sleeve 3 and the edge 8 of thejacket body 4 can also be altered to provide extra fabric in theshoulder area 12. Likewise the shapes of the edges 5, 6, 7, and 8 can bealtered in the armpit area 9 to provide extra fabric there, whichfurther isolates motion of the sleeve 3 from the jacket body 4especially when the sleeve 3 is rotated upward compared to the jacketbody 4. Likewise, the shapes of the edges 5, 6, 7, and 8 may be alteredin other areas to help isolate motion of the sleeve 3 from the jacketbody 4. In practice, the amount of alteration of the shapes of the edges5, 6, 7, and 8 in various areas can be determined by the directions thesleeve is intended to move the most and by compromises between theaesthetics and the functionality associated with the extra fabric.

[0039] It is understood that all of the foregoing description applied toa jacket is applicable with equal utility to shirts, parkas,windbreakers, raincoats and all other roughly similar articles ofapparel having sleeves.

[0040] A different embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.2A and 2B. FIG. 2A is a front view of a windbreaker 21 in which aseparate section 22 is interposed between a sleeve 23 and a windbreakerbody 24. In this embodiment a mesh underarm insert 37 is interposedbetween and joined to the ends 30 and 31 of the separate section 22 andis joined to the sleeve 23 and to the windbreaker body 24. FIG. 2B showsa typical pattern for the fabric used to make the separate section 22.As in the previous discussion, extra fabric can be provided in the areasdesired by altering the shapes of the edges 26 and 27 of the separatesection 22, by altering the shape of the edge 25 of the sleeve 23, andby altering the shape of the edge 28 of the windbreaker body 24. Inpractice, the precise shape of a mesh underarm insert 37 minimallyenhances or minimally diminishes the affects achieved by shaping theedges 25, 26, 27, and 28.

[0041] A different embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a front view of a parka 41 in which a separatesection 42 is interposed between a sleeve 43 and a body 44 of the parka41. As in the first embodiment discussed, a separate section 42 wrapsover the shoulder area 52, and its ends 50 and 51 are joined together inthe armpit area 49. In this embodiment the shape of the separate section42 has been modified to have an extension 57 that extends all the way toa neck hole 58 of the parka 41, thus eliminating any seams over the topof the shoulder area 52 that might be subjected to abrasion. FIG. 3Bshows a typical pattern for the fabric used to make the separate section42. The separate section 42 includes a first longitudinal edge 46 havingan arcuate shape that extends to first and second transverse edges 50,51, and a second longitudinal edge 47 that extends between the first andsecond transverse edges 50, 51 to define first and second end portions108, 110, and a mid-portion 112. At the mid-portion 112, the secondlongitudinal edge 47 includes a neck-hole edge 114 formed on extension57 of the mid-portion 112.

[0042] As in earlier discussions, extra fabric can be provided in theareas desired by altering the shapes of the edges 46 and 47 of theseparate section 42, by altering the shape of the edge 45 of the sleeve43, and by altering the shape of the edge 48 of the body 44. Inpractice, the shape of the extension can substantially diminish theoverall effectiveness achieved by careful shaping of the edges 45, 46,47, and 48 if one is not careful. It has been demonstrated, however,that the extension 57 can be carefully shaped such that the reduction ineffectiveness is minimal.

[0043] Yet another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is a front view of a parka 61 in which a separatesection 62 is interposed between a sleeve 63 and a body 64 of the parka61. In this embodiment the separate section 62 is composed of sub-pieces62 a and 62 b joined at an edge 79 of the sub-piece 62 a and an edge 80of the sub-piece 62 b. Typically the sub-piece 62 a would be made fromheavier fabric than the sub-piece 62 b so as to provide reinforcement inthe shoulder area 72 of the parka 61. As in the first embodimentdiscussed above, the separate section 62 wraps over the shoulder area72, and its ends 70 and 71 are joined together in the armpit area 69.The shape of the separate section 62 has again been modified to have anextension 77 that extends all the way to the neck hole 78 of the parka61. FIG. 4B shows a typical pattern for the fabric used to make theseparate section 62. It also shows the sub-piece 62 a joined by its edge79 to the edge 80 of the sub-piece 62 b. Extra fabric can be provided inthe areas desired by altering the shapes of the edges 66, 67 of theseparate section 62, by altering the shape of the edge 65 of the sleeve63, and by altering the shape of the edge 68 of the body 64. There is nochange in the effectiveness of shaping the edges 65, 66, 67, and 68 bybreaking the separate section 62 into sub-pieces 62 a and 62 b.

[0044]FIG. 6 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention wherein ajacket or parka 81 is shown having a separate section 82 interposedbetween a sleeve 83 and parka body 84. In this embodiment, the separatesection 82 is composed of a plurality of section pieces 90, 91, that arepatterned such that the edges do not match up when laid flat on a commonplanar surface, but rather impart a three-dimensional shape to theseparate section 82 when assembled. It is to be understood that theplurality of section pieces 90, 91 can consist of three, four, or morepieces to form the separate section 82.

[0045] As discussed above, additional fabric can be provided in eachseparate section 90, 91 in the areas desired by altering the shapes ofthe edges 86, 87 of the separate section 82, by altering the shape ofthe edge 85 of the sleeve 83, and by altering the shape of the edge 88of the parka body 84. Volume added to the shoulder area 92 by alteringthe edges 85, 86, 87, and 88 would be in addition to any volume providedby the shaping of the edges of the section pieces 90, 91 that form theseparate section 82.

[0046] U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patentapplications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications andnon-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listedin the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, intheir entirety.

[0047] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specificembodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, various modifications may be made without deviating fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited except as by the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.

1. A garment, comprising: a body and at least one sleeve, and a separatesection interposed between the body and the at least one sleeve, theseparate section structured to provide extra volume in a shoulder areadefined by the separate section to isolate movement of the at least onesleeve from the body of the garment as a user raises and lowers theuser's arm.
 2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the separate section isformed of non-stretch material.
 3. The garment of claim 1 wherein theseparate section extends to a neck hole in the garment.
 4. The garmentof claim 1 wherein the separate section is formed to have first andsecond edges for attachment to a body edge and a sleeve edge, andwherein the first and second edges of the separate section are shaped tonot match up to the body edge and the sleeve edge when the body,separate section, and sleeve are disposed flat on the same planarsurface.
 5. The garment of claim 1 wherein an angle α formed by the topof the separate section and a bottom hem of the garment is intermediateto an angle Φ made by a top of the garment body and the garment hem andthe angle θ made by a top of the sleeve and the garment hem.
 6. Thegarment of claim 5, wherein the separate section is formed ofnon-stretch material.
 7. A garment, comprising: a body having a shouldersection and an armpit section, the body having an edge in the shoulderand armpit sections that defines a shoulder opening; a sleeve having anedge defining a sleeve opening for attachment; and a separate sectionconfigured to couple the sleeve to the body, the separate section havinga first edge shaped to be attached to the edge of the body and a secondedge shaped to be attached to the edge of the sleeve, the edges of theseparate section configured to not match up with the edge on the bodyand the corresponding edge on the sleeve when disposed flat on a commonplanar surface to provide a volumetric shoulder area when assembled. 8.The garment of claim 7 wherein the separate section is formed ofnon-stretch material.
 9. The garment of claim 8 wherein the separatesection extends to a neck hole of the garment.
 10. The garment of claim6 wherein an angle α formed by the a top of the separate section and abottom hem of the garment is intermediate to an angle Φ made by a top ofthe garment body and the garment hem and the angle θ made by a top ofthe sleeve and the garment hem.
 11. The garment of claim 10, wherein theseparate section is made of non-stretch material.
 12. The garment ofclaim 7 wherein the separate section is formed of a first section thatis thicker and heavier than a second section, the second section beingpositioned in an armpit of the garment.
 13. The garment of claim 7wherein the separate section is constructed of subsections, eachsubsection having first and second opposing edges configured forattachment to the body and to the sleeve, respectively, and opposingthird and fourth edges that are shaped to not match up with adjacentsubsections when disposed flat on a common planar surface.
 14. Thegarment of claim 13 wherein the first and second edges are formed to notmatch up to the respective edge on the body and the edge on the sleevewhen disposed flat on a common planar surface.
 15. The garment of claim13 wherein the first and second edges of each subsection are configuredto match up with the corresponding edge of the body and the edge of thesleeve, respectively, when disposed flat on a common planar surface. 16.A method of forming a garment having a body and a sleeve, the methodcomprising: forming a separate section to be interposed between the bodyand the sleeve, the separate section formed to provide extra volume in ashoulder of the garment to isolate movement of the sleeve from the bodyof the garment as a user moves the user's arm.
 17. The method of claim16 wherein forming the separate section comprises forming the separatesection of non-stretch material.
 18. The method of claim 16 whereinforming the separate section comprises forming the separate section toextend to a neck hole of the garment.
 19. The method of claim 16 whereinforming the separate section comprises forming the separate section tohave first and second edges for attachment to an edge on the body and anedge on the sleeve, respectively, the first and second edges of theseparate section configured to not match up to the edge of the body andthe edge of the sleeve, respectively, when disposed on a common planarsurface.
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein forming the separate sectioncomprises forming the separate section of a plurality of subsectionshaving first and second edges configured for attachment to the garmentand the sleeve, respectively, and third and fourth edges configured forattachment to adjacent subsections, the third and fourth edgesconfigured to not match up with adjacent corresponding third and fourthedges of adjacent subsections when disposed flat on a common planarsurface.